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Today: January 24, 2025
Today: January 24, 2025
The Los Angeles Post

The Los Angeles Post

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World

Tourist who saw US soldier sprint to North Korea initially thought it was a stunt

Sarah Leslie thought she was witnessing a stunt when she saw an American soldier start sprinting toward North Korea. Leslie and her father, tourists from New Zealand, were part of a group that left Tuesday morning from Seoul to visit the Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea. Private 2nd Class Travis King was among the group of 43 tourists, Leslie told The Associated Press, although he was casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and she had no idea at the time that he was a soldier, or in legal trouble. King, 23,

Tourist who saw US soldier sprint to North Korea initially thought it was a stunt
World

South Africa says Putin will skip a summit next month because of his ICC arrest warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS economic summit in Johannesburg next month, the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement Wednesday. The decision means South Africa will not face the dilemma of whether it should carry out an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Russian leader. South Africa is a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC and would have been obliged under that to arrest Putin, although the country had given strong hints that it would have likely not executed the arrest warrant. But

South Africa says Putin will skip a summit next month because of his ICC arrest warrant
World

The Taliban use tasers, fire hoses and gunfire to break up Afghan women protesting beauty salon ban

Dozens of Afghan women protested a beauty salon ban on Wednesday after the Taliban ordered their closure nationwide. Security forces used fire hoses, tasers and shot their guns into the air to break up the protest. The Taliban said earlier this month they were giving all salons in Afghanistan one month to wind down their businesses and close shop, drawing concern from international officials worried about the impact on female entrepreneurs. The Taliban say they are outlawing salons allegedly because they offer services forbidden by Islam and cause economic hardship for grooms’ families during wedding festivities. The ruling came from

The Taliban use tasers, fire hoses and gunfire to break up Afghan women protesting beauty salon ban
World

Broadcom's $69 billion VMware purchase wins UK competition watchdog's approval

Computer chip and software maker Broadcom’s $69 billion plan to buy cloud technology company VMware cleared another hurdle Wednesday after Britain’s competition regulator gave the deal provisional clearance. The Competition and Markets Authority said its investigation found the deal “would not substantially reduce competition” in the supply of hardware components for computer servers in the U.K. The deal also would be unlikely to harm innovation, the regulator said. Thousands of British businesses and public bodies, including major banks, big retailers, telecom operators and government departments, rely on Broadcom gear and VMware software, the regulator said. Both companies

Broadcom's $69 billion VMware purchase wins UK competition watchdog's approval
Arts

Italian prosecutors open an investigation after Placebo frontman calls Meloni a fascist, reports say

Prosecutors in Turin have reportedly opened an investigation after the lead singer of British band Placebo insulted Premier Giorgia Meloni during a July 11 concert, calling her a fascist and racist. The LaPresse and ANSA news agencies said the investigation into alleged “vilification” stemmed from a report by carabinieri police about the comments by Brian Molko during a performance at the Sonic Park Festival in Stupinigi, near Turin. LaPresse reported that as of Monday, Molko hadn’t been placed under investigation. According to a cellphone video circulating on social media, Moko said in Italian: “Giorgia Meloni: piece of

Italian prosecutors open an investigation after Placebo frontman calls Meloni a fascist, reports say
World

Canadian wildfires hit Indigenous communities hard, threatening their land and culture

Carrol Johnston counted her blessings as she stood on the barren site where her home was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire that forced her to flee her northern Alberta community two months ago. Her family escaped unharmed, though her beloved cat, Missy, didn’t make it out before a “fireball” dropped on the house in early May. But peony bushes passed down from her late mother survived and the blackened May Day tree planted in memory of her longtime partner is sending up new shoots — hopeful signs as she prepares to start over

Canadian wildfires hit Indigenous communities hard, threatening their land and culture
Environment

Solving water challenges is complex – learn how law, health, climate and Indigenous rights all intersect in developing solutions

Americans have come to expect abundant clean water, but there are many stressors on water quality and availability. Jessica/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND In the U.S., most consumers take clean and available fresh water for granted, and water usually becomes front-page news only when there’s a crisis. And the past year has seen its share of water-related crises, whether it’s the effects of a prolonged drought in the U.S. Southwest or floods that covered more than one third of Pakistan last year. But seeing water problems as only environmental disasters does not capture the deeply interconnected nature of water in our society.

Solving water challenges is complex – learn how law, health, climate and Indigenous rights all intersect in developing solutions
Education

Hip-hop and health – why so many rap artists die young

Hip hop artists, from top left, clockwise, DMX, Lexii Alijai, Prince Markie Dee and Trugoy the Dove have all passed away within the past decade. Getty Images The song “Be Healthy” from the 2000 album by hip-hop duo dead prez, “Let’s Get Free,” is a rare rap anthem dedicated to diet, exercise and temperance: “They say you are what you eat, so I strive to eat healthy / My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy / ‘Cause true wealth come from good health and wise ways / We got to start taking better care of ourselves”

Hip-hop and health – why so many rap artists die young
Environment

Just in time for back-to-school shopping: How retailers can alter customer behavior to encourage more sustainable returns

Retail returns have become big business for UPS. AP Photo/Toby Talbot Back-to-school sales are underway, and people across the country will be shopping online to fill up backpacks, lockers and closets – and they’ll be taking advantage of free returns. Making it easy for customers to return items at no cost started as a retail strategy to entice more people to shop online. But it’s getting expensive, for both retailers and the planet. In 2022, retail returns added up to more than US$800 billion in lost sales. The transportation, labor, and logistics involved raised retailers’ costs even higher. Product returns

Just in time for back-to-school shopping: How retailers can alter customer behavior to encourage more sustainable returns
Arts

Women's World Cup will highlight how far other countries have closed the gap with US – but that isn't the only yardstick to measure growth of global game

The end of the glory years for the U.S. Women’s National Team? AP Photo/Claude Paris The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins on July 20, 2023, in Australia and New Zealand, and the U.S. enters the soccer tournament in a familiar position: favorites. The U.S. Women’s National Team, or USWNT, is the reigning back-to-back champion, and many pundits are expecting it to make history by securing a third successive title. Certainly, the team is built on solid foundations – it has a tournament history like no other, having reached the podium in all eight editions of the tournament stretching back

Women's World Cup will highlight how far other countries have closed the gap with US – but that isn't the only yardstick to measure growth of global game
Health

Global diabetes cases on pace to soar to 1.3 billion people in the next 3 decades, new study finds

Aging and obesity are likely to be the two primary drivers of the expected rise in diabetes. fotograzia/Moment via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea The number of people living with diabetes worldwide is on pace to more than double in the next three decades, for a total of 1.3 billion people by 2050. That is one of the key findings from our study on the global burden of diabetes recently published in The Lancet. We analyzed and synthesized all available epidemiological data on diabetes burden – defined as health

Global diabetes cases on pace to soar to 1.3 billion people in the next 3 decades, new study finds
Health

Global diabetes cases on pace to soar to 1.3 billion people in the next 3 decades, new study finds

Aging and obesity are likely to be the two primary drivers of the expected rise in diabetes. fotograzia/Moment via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea The number of people living with diabetes worldwide is on pace to more than double in the next three decades, for a total of 1.3 billion people by 2050. That is one of the key findings from our study on the global burden of diabetes recently published in The Lancet. We analyzed and synthesized all available epidemiological data on diabetes burden – defined as health

Global diabetes cases on pace to soar to 1.3 billion people in the next 3 decades, new study finds
Health

Diabetes atingirá 1.3 bilhão de pessoas nos próximos 30 anos

Aging and obesity are likely to be the two primary drivers of the expected rise in diabetes. fotograzia/Moment via Getty Images O resumo de pesquisa é uma breve apresentação sobre trabalhos acadêmicos interessantes. A grande ideia O número de pessoas que vivem com diabetes em todo o mundo está prestes a mais do que dobrar nas próximas três décadas, para um total de 1,3 bilhão de pessoas até 2050. Essa é uma das principais descobertas de nosso estudo sobre a carga global de diabetes publicado recentemente no The Lancet. Analisamos e sintetizamos todos os dados epidemiológicos disponíveis sobre a carga

Diabetes atingirá 1.3 bilhão de pessoas nos próximos 30 anos
Health

Opill, The New Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill. Is it Effective?

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first nonprescription daily birth control pill. The Food and Drug Administration’s July 13, 2023, approval of the first over-the-counter birth control pill, called Opill, broadens the options for people seeking to prevent pregnancy. When Opill becomes available, presumably in the first quarter of 2024, it will be sold in grocery and convenience stores, in pharmacies and through online retailers. The Conversation asked Sarah Lynch, a pharmaceutical expert from Binghamton University, State University of New York, to answer some of the key questions people have about the new over-the-counter contraceptive. 1. How does

Opill, The New Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill. Is it Effective?
Arts

Jamie Lee Curtis is working on a new children's book, 'Just One More Sleep,' for January publication

Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis also has a busy career as a children’s author. Her next work, “Just One More Sleep,” is set to come out in January. “The passage of time, how children relate to waiting, and patience are the themes at play in my newest book for children,” Curtis said in a statement released Thursday by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. The actor had previously released her children’s stories through HarperCollins. “The seed for this book was planted when I saw my 4-year-old neighbor, Betty, on Christmas Eve 2020 and I

Jamie Lee Curtis is working on a new children's book, 'Just One More Sleep,' for January publication
Political

China's leader says the country will work with US on climate as long as political conditions are met

China is willing to work with Washington on reducing global warming as long as its political demands are met, the country’s vice president told U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Vice President Han Zheng as telling Kerry that addressing climate change was “an important aspect of China-U.S. cooperation,” but was predicated on mutual respect. He said it must proceed “on the basis of U.S. attendance to core issues that concern both parties, fully engaging and exchanging ideas.” During this week’s visit, Kerry has told China’s top diplomat Wang Yi that

China's leader says the country will work with US on climate as long as political conditions are met
World

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologizes for a previous ban on LGBTQ+ people in the military

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologized Wednesday for the treatment of gay veterans, saying that a previous ban on LGBTQ+ people serving in the U.K. military was “an appalling failure of the British state.” The apology came after an independent review published Wednesday estimated that hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans were dismissed or suffered under an official ban on homosexuality in the U.K. armed forces that was enforced until 2000. “As today’s report makes clear, in that period many endured the most horrific sexual abuse and violence, homophobic bullying and harassment, all while bravely serving this

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologizes for a previous ban on LGBTQ+ people in the military
World

Yamuna river reaches the iconic Taj Mahal's outer walls in India after swelling with monsoon rains

Rising water from the Yamuna river on Wednesday reached the outer boundary walls of the iconic Taj Mahal and submerged one of its adjacent gardens after record monsoon rains swelled rivers across northern India over the last three weeks. The flooding at the 17th-century white marble monument in Agra city came as heavy floods had killed at least 100 people in parts of north India, swept away houses and bridges and resulted in deadly landslides. On Wednesday, the red sandstone boundary walls of the Taj Mahal were surrounded by brown, muddy water, even as a flock

Yamuna river reaches the iconic Taj Mahal's outer walls in India after swelling with monsoon rains
World

Yamuna river reaches the iconic Taj Mahal's outer walls in India after swelling with monsoon rains

Rising water from the Yamuna river on Wednesday reached the outer boundary walls of the iconic Taj Mahal and submerged one of its adjacent gardens after record monsoon rains swelled rivers across northern India over the last three weeks. The flooding at the 17th-century white marble monument in Agra city came as heavy floods had killed at least 100 people in parts of north India, swept away houses and bridges and resulted in deadly landslides. On Wednesday, the red sandstone boundary walls of the Taj Mahal were surrounded by brown, muddy water, even as a flock

Yamuna river reaches the iconic Taj Mahal's outer walls in India after swelling with monsoon rains
World

Prosecutor says Kevin Spacey used celebrity status for 'opportunity grab' described by accusers

It was more than a coincidence that three of Kevin Spacey ‘s four accusers described similar crotch-grabbing incidents, a prosecutor said Wednesday in her closing argument at his sexual assault trial. Prosecutor Christine Agnew told a London jury that Spacey seized brief moments for an “opportunity grab” and was able to get away with it for years because he was a celebrity. The two-time Oscar winner long had benefited from a “trinity of protection,” knowing that men he attacked would not complain. If they did, he knew they wouldn’t be believed; if they were believed, he knew

Prosecutor says Kevin Spacey used celebrity status for 'opportunity grab' described by accusers
World

Microsoft and Activision extend deadline to close $69 billion deal under close regulatory scrutiny

The deadline for Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard has been extended as the companies seek to close a deal that has been challenged by regulators in the U.S., as well as by U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority. Microsoft believes that pushing back the deadline to Oct. 18 will provide enough time to work through the remaining regulatory issues, said Brad Smith, the company’s president. “We are confident about our prospects for getting this deal across the finish line,” Smith said. The extension comes with a bigger termination fee, should the deal be called off, and

Microsoft and Activision extend deadline to close $69 billion deal under close regulatory scrutiny
Arts

‘Am I crossing picket lines if I see a movie?’ and other Hollywood strike fan questions answered

You watch movies. You watch TV. And now you’re wondering how the dual Hollywood strikes — a pitched battle with actors and writers on one side, and studios and streaming services on the other — will affect you. We have answers. Do the strikes mean “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” aren’t coming out? They — and all other summer releases — are still on track! Many flashy premieres have been canceled, however, or dramatically scaled down. Am I crossing the picket line by seeing one of those movies? No, the unions have not asked fans to boycott productions, and are quick to

‘Am I crossing picket lines if I see a movie?’ and other Hollywood strike fan questions answered
World

Five European countries will extend ban on Ukraine's grain but let it head to other places

Five European Union countries will extend their ban on Ukrainian grain imports to protect their farmers’ interests, their agriculture ministers said Wednesday, but food can still move through their land to parts of the world in need after Russia pulled out of a deal safeguarding Black Sea shipments. The ministers of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria signed a joint declaration ahead of EU discussions on the matter planned next week in Brussels. The declaration said they support continuing to allow Ukraine’s grain to move through their borders by road, rail and river to destinations where

Five European countries will extend ban on Ukraine's grain but let it head to other places
World

High-water rescue crews save people flooded in Kentucky as death toll rises in northeast US

High-water rescue crews pulled people from flooded homes and vehicles in Kentucky Wednesday, where waves of thunderstorms prompted flash flood warnings and watches. A search continued for two children swept away after torrential rains in the northeast. The National Weather Service estimated that as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall in the area where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet at the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Atmospheric scientists say the global warming responsible for unrelenting heat in the Southwest also is making this kind of extreme rainfall a more frequent

High-water rescue crews save people flooded in Kentucky as death toll rises in northeast US
World

High-water rescue crews save people flooded in Kentucky as death toll rises in northeast US

High-water rescue crews pulled people from flooded homes and vehicles in Kentucky Wednesday, where waves of thunderstorms prompted flash flood warnings and watches. A search continued for two children swept away after torrential rains in the northeast. The National Weather Service estimated that as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall in the area where Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri meet at the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Atmospheric scientists say the global warming responsible for unrelenting heat in the Southwest also is making this kind of extreme rainfall a more frequent

High-water rescue crews save people flooded in Kentucky as death toll rises in northeast US

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